Brian Schwake on first USMNT callup: "It was a good email to get"

NASHVILLE, TN – "It was a good email to get. Probably my favorite ever."

Brian Schwake laughed when recalling how he found out he'd been called up to the United States national team for the first time in his career. The 25-year-old Nashville SC goalkeeper has been a standout in Major League Soccer, leading the league with 12 clean sheets in his first year as a starter.

Schwake says he was with his dad when he got the email from US Soccer notifying him that he'd be joining the team during their upcoming friendlies against Peru, Chile, Mexico, and Canada. It's a moment he won't quickly forget.

"It's something that I've been working for for a long time," he told reporters in Nashville. "It's always been a dream of mine, so to finally get the notification that I was gonna be going is awesome."

An unusual path to the USMNT

Schwake's path to the national team has been an unconventional one. The Mount Prospect, Illinois, native never played for the United States at any youth levels. Instead, he left collegiate soccer after one season at DePaul University and headed to Scotland, signing with Livingston and going on loan for several clubs in the Scottish lower levels.

After four years, he made another leap, signing with CD Castellón in Spain's La Liga 2. After four matches, mostly in cup competitions, he transferred to Nashville SC before the 2025 season. In his first year in Music City, he was primarily the backup to Joe Willis, although he did start every one of Nashville's matches in the US Open Cup, making a crucial penalty save in the final as Nashville lifted their first-ever trophy.

"I've worked hard in my life to follow this path, and I'm very happy with the call-up," Schwake said.

Nashville SC head coach BJ Callaghan, who himself has USMNT experience as the former interim coach of the team, said it's a point of pride for the club to see their players earn opportunities at the highest levels.

"Credit to Brian for earning that position. At the same time, we're a club that wants to give young players or unproven players chances, and we wanna support ambition," he said. "He really took his opportunities here and has been rewarded with a call-up."

Of the four goalkeepers on the September and October squad, Schwake is the only one with no youth national team experience. Fellow Chicago native Chris Brady played extensively at the U15, U20, and U23 levels. It's a similar story for 20-year-old Diego Kochen, who has yet to make his debut at the senior level. Even Matt Freese, who only made his senior debut in 2025 and was the starter at the 2026 World Cup, played with the U23s.

"The manager said the other day that a lot of guys have a fresh slate. I think it's maybe sometimes more difficult if you come in and you're the only new guy and everyone already has the rhythm going and stuff like that," Schwake said. "But now with thirteen new players, it's gonna be exciting. Everyone's going to be feeling it out, and then just a fresh start, and everyone's got a good chance to fight for their spot."

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Lifelong fandom

Schwake has been a fan of the US national team since he can remember. Like so many born in the early 2000s, one of his core memories as a fan was Landon Donovan's last-minute winner against Algeria at the 2010 World Cup, sending the US through to the knockout rounds in one of the most dramatic moments in American soccer.

Schwake has a more under-the-radar memory to go along with it.

"I went to a Gold Cup final, I think it was in 2007 at Soldier Field, and there's a photo of me with my whole face painted red, white, and blue, and I've got like the stars on. I'm gonna see if I can find a way to sneak it on my Instagram at some point," he laughed. "That's definitely one of my earliest memories."

Navigating a changing position

Aside from being an elite shot-stopper, one of Schwake's biggest selling points as a starter is his ability with the ball at his feet. It's a part of the game that has evolved dramatically in recent years, with goalkeepers now asked to operate almost as field players in possession. They're tasked with absorbing pressure, drawing opposing attackers forward, and constantly running a risk-versus-reward calculus for every pass they play.

When asked about it, Schwake gives an insightful look into his thought process.

"It's a good question. I think it's just reading the game," he says. "You gotta see what we're doing, what the opponent is doing, what things are working, what minute it is in the game, have they just scored a goal, have we just scored a goal? And you need to get a good feel. That comes with experience and playing games. I feel like we've had a good balance of that so far this year."

With eight matches left to play in the MLS regular season, Schwake leads Nashville in minutes played (3,527) and appearances (35). He's already set the club's single-season record for clean sheets, and needs another two in MLS play to break into the top 10 in league history (four clean sheets in the final eight games would tie the league record).

He's deservedly caught the eye of USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino, and has an opportunity to stake his claim for the starting spot at the beginning of a new four-year cycle.

"I'm excited to just be a part of that and hopefully do something special."

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